GODSMACK The Rise of Rock World Tour 2026 presale codes

Born out of Boston in the mid 90s, the band grew from barroom heaviness into radio-sized hard rock with Sully Erna steering vocals and mood.

Final-album era focus

Their current moment centers on declaring Lighting Up the Sky their final studio album, which refocuses the show on legacy material and muscular pacing. Expect a punchy mix of staples like I Stand Alone, Voodoo, Awake, and When Legends Rise, framed by tight stops and crowd shouts. You will see a broad mix of longtime fans who bought the early CDs, younger rock-radio listeners, and parents sharing earplugs with teens, all nodding in unison.

Drums, chants, and a Boston snarl

A long-running highlight is the drum feature once dubbed Batalla de los Tambores, a reminder that Erna came up as a drummer before fronting the band. Lesser-known note: I Stand Alone was cut for The Scorpion King and tracked fast to capture that marching stomp you hear live. Setlist picks and production notes here are informed guesses from recent tours, not a promise.

The Godsmack scene: grit, chorus shouts, and sun logos

The look is mostly black tees, denim, and scarred hats, with plenty of the sun logo showing up on jackets and back patches.

Black tees and bright voices

You hear name chants between songs and see fists snap up on the first snare of When Legends Rise, a small ritual that sets up the chorus sing. During Under Your Scars, phone lights bloom quietly while people give each other space, then the room tightens back up for the bangers. Merch leans into throwback art from Awake and bold skull-and-sun designs, plus a few newer prints nodding to Lighting Up the Sky.

Traditions that travel

Pre-show playlists tilt toward 90s and 00s hard rock, so conversations often turn to first concerts, local venues, and which record got them through a tough patch. It feels like a seasoned rock crowd that respects volume and dynamics, happy to shout, then just as ready to listen.

How Godsmack makes heavy feel bigger, not louder

Sully Erna carries a gritty midrange that sits high over the guitars, and he often clips phrases short to keep the punch clear.

Heavy made roomy

Tony Rombola favors low tunings and wide vibrato, with riffs that leave space for toms and bass to slam, while Robbie Merrill locks the root notes with a pick attack that tightens the groove. Shannon Larkin shapes songs with dramatic cymbal swells into hard stops, so drops hit like a door slam rather than a blur. Live, they sometimes stretch Voodoo into a percussion break with frame drum tones, and the old drum-duel tradition can fold classic rock teases into the cadence.

Fire, shadows, and space

A quieter mid-set turn lets Under Your Scars breathe with piano and light string pads, giving contrast before the stomp returns. Tempos hover in the mid range, but bridges often flip to half-time to make the final chorus feel bigger, and lighting follows suit with amber washes and sharp strobes. Small detail for gear-heads: several mainstays sit a step or more below standard tuning, which thickens chords and makes the kick-and-bass thud feel deeper without extra volume.

If you rock with Godsmack, you might also roll with these

Fans who ride on tight riffs and chant-ready hooks often also follow Disturbed, whose percussive grooves and baritone grit feel kin to this sound.

Kindred crunch and catharsis

Shinedown draws a similar mix of radio heft and uplift, with big choruses that scratch the same itch between heavy and melodic. The darker harmonies and slow-burn tension that echo early influence make Alice in Chains a natural neighbor for ears that like mood with crunch. If you want precision riffs with anthem payoffs, Breaking Benjamin hits the lane shared by mid-tempo stomps and soaring bridges.

Hooks, heft, and radio rule

Together these artists thrive on thick low-end, call-and-response moments, and shows that feel polished but still punch hard. If those threads work for you, this bill likely lands in the same sweet spot.